Oven & Shower Cleaner

Oven and shower cleaner‏ Into a spray bottle mix:
2 oz. Dawn Dishwashing liquid
4 oz. (bottled) Lemon Juice
8 oz. White Vinegar
10 oz. Water
Now make your house sparkle!
*Please test it first before using on delicate surfaces. This is powerful stuff! If your shower has a bad build-up of soap scum and crud it may take a time or two to get that shine.
Works on every stain I've tried it on !!!
The ultimate stain remover that actually works on a seriously set in stain! Never buy oxyclean again!
The mixture is:
1 tsp. Dawn dishwashing detergent
3-4 tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide
couple tablespoons of baking soda.
Scrub on with a scrubbing brush

HOMEMADE "SHOUT" STAIN REMOVER
2/3 cups Dawn Dishwashing Liquid
2/3 cups ammonia
6 Tbsp baking soda
2 cups warm water
Mix everything together and pour into a spray bottle. You can get the empty bottles at Walmart for about a dollar.When you get ready to use it each time, give it a good shake. Spray on stain and let soak for a few minutes. For tougher stains, rub the fabric together for a minute as well. Launder Remove hard water stains‏
Fill about half a spray bottle with distilled white vinegar. Add in 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Fill the majority of the remaining space in your spray bottle with the dish soap of your choice. Shake the bottle to mix together ingredients. Use your solution on hard water stains! Spray it on liberally and let it sit for 30 minutes. Then scrub away the grime. Rinse, dry, and marvel at the glorious results. 

Laundry Detergent

1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax- Found in the detergent aisle
1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda- Found in the detergent aisle
1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean- Found in the detergent aisle. (This is optional but I highly recommend adding it)
2 (14.1 oz) Bars of Zote Soap- Found in the detergent aisle (we chose to do pink for the scent but the white would be just fine. You can also use Fels Naptha)
1 (4 lb) Box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda- Found in the cooking aisle (You could also get two 2 lb box, we couldn’t find the larger 4lb box when we went)
1-2 (55 oz) Bottle of Purex Crystals Fabric Softener- Found in the detergent aisle (This is 100% optional. Like I said, my laundry detergent must smell good and I really like soft towels)
The hardest most time consuming part is grating the cheese soap. The hubs thinks it looks like pink cheese….has anyone ever seen pink cheese? Ya didn’t think so! I’m not fortunate enough to have a food processor so I was stuck doing this with a typical hand grater, stick to either a hand grater or food processor if you are blessed enough to have one. I should make it known that the soap dissolves just fine, even in cold water. Oh and I would recommend using a large mixing bowl to grate into and using the fine side of the grater.

Cleaning Products

Whip up your own cleaning products using oils, but prepare only what you’ll use for six months.
All natural staples:
Baking soda, is a mild alkaline compound not only acts as a detergent to neutralize and cut fatty acids in dirt and grease but also fizz when combined with acids, like vinegar and lemon juice, to lift soil. Plus it has a gentle scouring and bleaching abilities.
Borax is a laundry booster, this product is a moderately alkaline mineral that, like baking soda, cuts dirt, stops the growth of mold and mildew, softens water and deodorizes by eliminating odor-causing acids.
White Vinegar is a acid solution that is powerful enough to dissolve mineral deposits from glass and acts as an adhesive solvent, a soap scum and stain remover, and a grease cutter. It even kills mold and mildew.
Lemon juice or rind is quick, capable deodorizers, degreasers and bleaching agents.

Kitchen
This formula doesn’t suds up much, but it is effective and gentle
1/3 cup liquid castle soup
3 tsp. vegetable glycerin
5 drops tea-free essential oil
20 drops lemon essential oil
1 1/3 cups water
Using a funnel, pour soap, glycerin, tea-tree oil, lemon oil and water into a bottle.
Shake well to blend.
Place beside sink and use on dishes and hands. This fragrant formula also will clean your kitchen countertops.

Antibacterial Spray
2 cups water
2 TBSP. liquid castile soap
1 TBSP white thyme essential oil
10 drops lavender essential oil
Using a funnel, pour water, soap and oils into a bottle.
Shake and spray letting it sit for 20 minutes
Wipe down surfaces with a damp cloth
Use this germ killer on sinks, vanities and toilet seats. White thyme oil, although expensive, inhibits bacterial growth.

Bathroom
Toilet bowl blaster recipe harnesses baking soda’s gentle abrasiveness, vinegar’s addicty and the stain-lifting power of the fizz created by the mixing the two, plus tea-tree oil’s antibacterial capabilities.
½ cup baking soda
10 drops tea-tree essential oil
½ cup distilled white vinegar
Pour baking soda directly into the toilet bowl; add oil, then vinegar in that order. Let water fizz for several minutes, then scrub bow with brush and flush.

Tub and tile scrub
2 tsp. borax
½ tsp. liquid castile soap
½ cup distilled white vinegar
3 cups hot water
Using a funnel, pour borax, soap, vinegar and water into a spray bottle.
Shake well to mix.
Put on rubber gloves and spray surfaces, scrubbing with a sponge as you work.
Rinse with water

Cream of Tartar along with baking soda, this baking staple is a faintly acidic tub and tile scourer. Combined with lemon juice, it makes a mildly abrasive grout cleaner.

Denture Tablets, drop one tablet into the toilet bowl, wait 20 minutes then flush – no brushing needed. Use two, with a dash of white vinegar, to unclog a drain.

Spriz vodka on ceramic bathroom tiles to remove pesky soap scrum that cleansers did not remove. Wait 10 minutes, then rinse clean.

GlassAdd club soda to glass-cleaner recipes for extra dirt-lifting action, or dab it on a rag to make metal fixtures sparkle. Alas, it loses its efficacy when flat.

Furniture polish Mix Worcestershire sauce into homemade furniture polishes, apply to mask nicks and dents in dark finishes. The results will astonish you!

Here is the recipe for the homemade Fabreze. For the really stubborn odors just add a bit more baking soda. I just reuse old spray bottles which lowers the cost even more!
1/8 Cup of Your Favorite Fabric Softener
2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
Hot Tap Water - To Fill the Bottle to the Top
Shake it up in your Spray Bottle and you're ready to go and fight those Stinky Dog Odors. etc.

Adult Wipes

1 Bounty paper towel roll cut in half, save the other half of the roll for next time.
Place ½ roll in a round plastic container with the cut side facing downward.
Mix: 1 c. H20
1 Tbls. baby shampoo or soap shaving
½ tsp. baby oil or olive oil
1 tsp. of rubbing alcohol to the mix
Secure lid tightly and allow to sit for 10 min. until all liquid is absorbed into the paper.
Turn the container upside-down and allow to sit for another 10 minutes.
Open the container and remove the cardboard, ‘starting’ the roll by pulling a towel from the inside of the roll.
Make sure the container is closed tightly after each use to prevent drying out.

Economy Laundry Soap

Slash your laundry supply bills and extend the life of your clothes by making your own laundry soap. One starter supply includes everything you need to make several batches - enough to wash more than 800 loads at less than 6¢ per load. Soap can be used in HE washing machines, gel-like soap. Use approx. 1/2 cup per load.

2 Gallon Bucket
Cost of making the laundry soap was .71 cents and from the 2 gallon size you can do 64 laundry loads. That translates to about .01 cent per load.
1/3 bar Fels Naptha grated and put it in a sauce pan.
Add 6 c. H20 and heat it until the soap melts.
Add: ½ c. washing soda power and ½ c. borax powder stir until it dissolved.
Remove from heat.
Pour 4 cups hot H20 into a 2 gallon plastic bucket.
Now add your soap mixture and stir.
Add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of H20 and stir.
Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will liquid gel.

If it does not gel up for you, you can still use it. Next time add a little more soap (like half the bar of Fels Naptha) and see if that helps.

If you want, your soap to have some sort of scent you can add ½ to 1 oz. of essential oil or fragrance oil of your choice. My favorite scent is orange essential oil.

5 Gallon Bucket
One bar of Fels Naptha bar soap, shredded with a grater (small pieces) to melt down.
In a separate dish, 1 cup of Arms & Hammer Powder washing soda and one cup of borax, set aside.
6 qt. pan, put in 6 cups of H20 and the shredded bar soap, to melt down
Add Soda and Borax to the melted bar soap; simmer until it all dissolves.
5 gal. Plastic bucket, 4 cups hot H20.
Add the 6 qt. pan of soap mixture into the bucket and mix up good.
Add 2 gallons plus 6 cups H20 (looks like curdled milk)
Let it all sit for 24 hours, then mix up with a pant stick and pour into containers you want, leaving space at the top so you can shake it up before you use it. (It will separate)
Or you can leave it in the 5 gal. bucket, but then you stir the whole bucket before using each time.
Does not suds up much, but softens and cleans the clothes.

http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap2.htm

Homemade Distilled Water

Distilled water is literally water that has been boiled, evaporated and condensed - leaving all chemicals, toxins and waste behind and creating pure, clean water. Distillation will remove bacteria, viruses, cysts, heavy metals, radionuclides, organics, inorganics, and particulates.
Distillation is literally the method seen in nature, whereby: the sun heats the water on the earth's surface, the water is turned into a vapour (evaporation) and rises, leaving contaminants behind, to form clouds. As the upper atmosphere drops in temperature the vapours cool and convert back to water to form water droplets. Then once the droplets fall as rain (precipitation) the cycle starts over again.
Water in the human body acts as a solvent, carrying nutrients to every living cell, and transporting waste material out of the cells for removal. Efficient absorption of nutrients and efficient elimination of wastes through the kidneys and liver is only possible when water, the transport medium, is clean. Distilled water removes poisonous substances and inorganic mineral matter from the human body. This process will be impeded if the water you drink is already contaminated.

Get two bottles, ideally one transparent, fill the transparent one with water then join the two together at the neck, or run a tube between them sealing any open places. Then position them so that the one with water in it is in the sun (so it heats up) and the other kept cool in the shade or covered and angled so that water will collect in the bottom. The heat causes evaporation of water in the filled bottle which then condenses in the cooler bottle and collects as distilled water in the bottom of the bottle.

1. Place water in a large pot, then put something like a steamer-inset with a heat-proof bowl in the middle. Don't let the bowl touch the pot's sides or bottom.
2. Cover the pot with a wok or a dome-shaped lid, with the concave side up. Put ice-water on the wok/lid.
3. Slowly bring the pot of water to a boil. Replace the ice-water as it gets warm.
4. Check under the wok/lid from time to time. The water should be condensing on the bottom of the wok and dripping into the pyrex bowl. Do not boil the pot dry. You can stop when you have enough water in the bowl.
For a purer result, discard the first 10ml in the bowl as this could contain impurities that boil below 100C i.e. first!

The process takes some time. It will take approximately 40 minutes to make one quart of distilled water.
If you place rose petals in your boiling pot of water, you can make rose water. Rose water is good for dry skin and has a wonderful fragrance.

Chemical Free Alternatives

Chemical-free living is the embracing of a lifestyle that omits chemicals from as many aspects of life as possible, pretty much everything you buy from supermarkets these days is chemical based.
The more you make an effort to remove chemicals from your life though, the less work your sensitive organs have to do to pump the chemicals back out of your body. The more efficient your body is at getting rid of harmful toxins, the less likely you will have a toxic buildup in your body, and therefore the less susceptible you are to disease, cancer, a whole host of ailments!
Bathroom: Face cleanser: A mix of milk and oatmeal may sound like a hearty breakfast, but it's also a natural face cleanser for dry skin types. The milk moisturizes and nourishes the skin, and oatmeal acts as an exfoliating agent.
Hair dyes and highlights: Combine, Cup lemon juice with cup water and rinse your hair for a natural alternative to chemically-laden hair dyes and highlights. A little time in the sun will activate the lemon juice's bleaching properties.
Henna hair dyes (henna is a plant powder you mix with hot water to form a paste, and then apply to your hair as per normal.
Lemon Hair Bleach: Mix ½ cup lemon juice with 1 cup flour to form a paste. How to Use: Apply to damp hair, cover with shower cap and leave minimum 15 minutes up to 1 hour (for best results). Wash out. (Lemon accentuates the natural fairness in hair. The result is gentle golden highlights for dark hair and for lighter hair a gentle golden blonde affect. Lemon is mild bleach. It may be necessary to repeat the procedure a few times to achieve the necessary affect).
Talc in Recycled Jar: Pour rice flour into a clean small to medium sized jar with metal lid. For plain ‘talc’ leave as is. For scented ‘talc’ add essential oils, dried herbs or flowers. Pierce holes in lid to allow for easy sprinkling.
Toothpaste: A few drops of hydrogen peroxide mixed with baking soda makes a super cleansing toothpaste. Use this formula about once every 2 weeks as a natural tooth cleaner and whitener.
Soap: Leaves of the Soap wort or similar plant that will lather and clean similar to soap.
Sunscreens: Many natural skin care lines are creating chemical-free sunscreens that use zinc oxide and natural minerals, to shield UVA and UVB rays. These minerals reflect, rather than absorb, UV rays. Also look for sunscreens and sunblocks that contain inactive ingredients that will soothe skin and counteract free radical damage. Natural additives like shea butter, hemp, aloe, lavender, and green tea provides an amount of shielding from sun rays and provides cooling comfort for your skin.
For extra dirty pots squeeze half a lemon onto a few tablespoons of salt and get scrubbing.
Spray Deodorant Lavender Vinegar-based: Pour 10 ml cider vinegar into a suitably sized spray bottle. Add 80 ml water. Add 2-3 drops of lavender essential oil. Apply lid – shake well. Use 1-3 times daily as an underarm deodorant. This is a mild anti-bacterial deodorant that inhibits odor but does not reduce perspiration.
Homemade Rosemary Shampoo: To 2 cups of the soap jelly mix add 1 cup boiling water (or rosemary & lavender herbal infusion). Stir until the soap jelly has dissolved. Add two tablespoons of almond oil and a 5 drops each rosemary & lavender essential oils. Pour into a jar ready for use. No need to use a conditioner simply gives your hair a final rinse with spring or rain water!
Essential Oils are great for scenting rooms and toilet bowls. You can wipe with a damp cloth using a drop or two with any scent you like.
Raw Honey applied directly to wounds and nappy rash and fungal infections. It is also very soothing, can also be used on a horse that may have a large open leg wound. It has anti fungal and antibacterial properties. Plain untreated honey is just as good as the expensive honey. It soaks into the skin well and excess when changing dressings, plus can be washed off with water easily.
Household cleansers: Cornstarch is great for thickening up a stir-fry, but can also be used to clean windows, polish furniture, and starch clothes.
Lemon juice does more than jazz up ice-water! The citric acid it contains can deodorize, clean glass and disinfect cutting boards. Combine with 2 parts olive oil for a safe furniture polish.
Vinegar is a smelly, but handy cleaning tool. It can dissolve grease, remove soap and wax buildup or clean out the metallic taste in coffeepots. Be sure to dilute your vinegar solution with about 1/2 cup vinegar per quart of warm water.
Brass Polish: Worcestershire Sauce.
Mold and mildew: Borax is a naturally occurring mineral that may inhibit mold and mildew growth, boost the cleaning power of detergent and remove stains. Note: Boron compounds like those in Borax are also known to eliminate household critters, including dust mites!
Static Eliminator Re-Usable Dryer Sheets keep you and your dryer safe, giving you the benefits of dryer sheets without the buildup and harmful chemicals.
Oven Cleaner: Make a paste of baking soda and water and spread on oven interior. Leave overnight with oven door closed. Remove with sponge or nylon scrub pad. SOS pad can be used to remove stubborn bits.
Scouring Powder: 1 cup of baking soda, 1 cup of Borax, 1 cup of regular salt. Combine ingredients and keep in tightly closed container.
Silver Cleaner: Boiling water, baking soda, a piece of aluminum.
Stainless Steel Polish: 2 tablespoons cream of tartar, 1 quart of hot water.
Copper Cleaner: Rub with lemon juice; rinse and dry, Lemon juice and salt.
Clogged sinks; pour about ½ a cup of baking soda down a drain, followed by 1 cup vinegar. Let it sit for about 20 minutes and then flush with hot water.
Scouring powder: Baking soda is a wonderful tool for neutralizing acid, deodorizing, cleaning and polishing, as well as removing stains. Combine it with some dry table salt for a great scouring powder.
Stain remover: Sodium chloride, otherwise known as salt, can be combined with lemon juice to make a chemical-free stain remover for clothes and carpets. (Salt is famous for helping with red wine stains).

Tid Bits

Reheat Pizza Heat up leftover pizza in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.
Easy Deviled Eggs Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
Expanding Frosting When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar/calories per serving.
Reheating refrigerated bread To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
Newspaper weeds away Start putting in your plants; work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.
Broken Glass Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken glass pieces of glass- the fibers catch ones you can't see!
No More Mosquitoes Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
Squirrel Away! To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.
MINE!!!!! If you purchase a new bike for your child, place their picture inside the handle bar before placing the grips on. if the bike is stolen and later recovered, remove the grip and there is your proof who owns the bike.
Flexible vacuum To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.
Reducing Static Cling Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and - voila - static is gone.
Measuring Cups Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
Foggy Windshield? Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!Reopening envelope If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Voila! It unseals easily.
Conditioner Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair...
Goodbye Fruit Flies To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2" with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid, mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
Get Rid of Ants Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it "home," & can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works & you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!
Take baby powder to the beach Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When you're ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder and the sand will slide right off your skin.

Insect Repellents

Leaves, flowers chop in a blender and let sit overnight in some water, strain and spray.
Ants - crush catnip, tansy and sprinkle on the ant trails
Aphid - tobacco
Beetles - nasturtium, rue,
Flies - equal parts of clover flowers, broken bay leaves, crushed clovers, and eucalyptus.
Tie in a small mesh bag and hang inside your doors.
Mites - pyrethrum
Mosquitoes - apply a little citronella oil on your skin.
To extend the oil, add 1/3 pure grain alcohol
Mix 3 parts of lavender oil to 1 part.
White fly - hyssop, larkspur, grey sanitarian
Pets - pillows for pets bed to rid of flees
Cats - dry equal parts of chamomile flowers and penny royal
Dogs - rue and cedar shavings
Toys for cats - dry catnip, strip leaves and crumble slightly, dry valerian root and grind.
Sassafras Squish - twigs used as chew sticks revive the mouth and massage the gums; they also make delicious toothbrushes.
Since this insecticide is made without preservatives, it is best to make it frequently in small amounts and use it up. If refrigerated, it will last 3 days to a week. Discard it if it appears moldy.
Crush 6 fresh sassafras leaves in a small clean bowl with a charcoal tablet (these are available at health food stores). You can substitute a small, clean piece of charred wood from the fireplace for the charcoal.
Bind the ingredients together with 1-2 Tbsp. of vegetable oil.
Dot the mixture on your forehead, nose, and around the mouth and ears and rub gently.
Allow it to sit on the skin reapplied frequently.
The ingredients are non-staining and will wash out readily if they get onto your clothes.

Gather Herbs

Only in dry weather, preferable when the plant is in full bloom or the seeds getting ripe. In the early morning when thoroughly dry and kept dry in heavy brown paper bags they well keep for years. Collect flowers and stems when the flow is beginning to open. Leaves to be dried are picked on a summery morning after the dew. To dry leaves - spread on paper on a cookie sheet in preheated oven 100 degrees, leaving oven door part way open. About 15 minutes or until leaves are dry and brittle, remove from oven and cool before storing.
Roots ought to be dug in the fall after the roots and leaves are dead or have come to maturity; or they should be dug before they start in the spring.
They ought to be washed immediately after they are dug, or not washed at all.
All roots, when cleaned, ought to be put in a place where they well dry soon.
They should not be placed in the sun, as soon as they are perfectly dry they ought to be pack away and kept from the air as much as possible

Dehydrating

Dehydrating without additives and preservatives:
Dehydration is a process, in which moisture is removed, and so the natural flavor is enhanced. Vegetables contain a certain amount of natural salt, and when moisture is removed, this salty taste too is intensified.
Fresh food is the best form of diet, still dehydrated is superior to can or frozen food, and it’s more flavorful than fresh.
Fruit when dried is infinitely sweeter, like candy.
The electricity needed to operate a dehydrator cost not much more than 1 cent and hour because of its low temperature. There is no pre blanching for it kills food value.
You can plant the seeds from a dehydrator tomato and it will germinate, sprout, and grow.
Dried foods have the same calories as fresh.
Buy honey in metal containers, if you need a sweetener, since this is usually honey sold in its natural state.
Baby food - puree fruits, vegetables or meat in a blender. Dry any left over into leather or fruit rolls. When you wish to use it, tear in pieces, put back in the blender with a little water or juice. Older babies enjoy chewing dried fruits, as it is it will reconstitute in their mouths.
Always dry at low temperatures 110 - 125.
20 lbs of tomato = # 10
8 lbs of herbs = # 1
5 lbs of green peppers = # 1
4 lbs of beef = # 1
4 lbs of bananas = 1 # 4 oz.
4 lbs of apples = # 1
Water blanching: Fill pot 2/3 full of water and bring to a rolling boil.
Place vegetables in a wire basket and submerge in water.
Bring to a boil before timing.
Steam blanching: A double boiler with a lid 2 inches of water on the bottom and bring to a rolling boil.
Layer vegetables on the top part no more then 2 inches deep.
Cover and steam.
Scalding: Immerse vegetables in boiling water for a few seconds to remove the skins.
Drying: Test if dried enough by taking apiece out and pressing it, it will have a distinct characteristic.
Strawberries feel spongy.
Apples are bendable and leathery for they dry crisper and break when bent.
Peas will powder when crushed in the blender.
Onions break.
Herbs crumble.
Taste taking a piece to taste. It should be dry to the palate. It should not possess pockets or noticeable moisture in the center.
Cut and squeeze taking a piece and cut it. There should be no moisture at the center. Take several pieces in your hand and squeeze together. No moisture should remain in your hand. The pieces should fall apart when released from your hand.
Some fruits such as figs, dates, cherries, raisins, and pears will always be slightly sticky even when dried, but they will not stick together.
Weight: Weigh it before you dry it then weigh it in the dried stage or weigh the trays.
Chart: It will give you a basis to determine dryness the next time you prepare another batch.
Slice food 1/8 inch for drying. If it gets thicker than 1/4 inch a blister may appear on the outside because the outside dried first and pulled away from the center.
At 110 - 118 it is almost impossible to over dry - so if in doubt - dry longer.
Storing: Take the food off the trays immediately when the machine is turn off before it picks up moisture in the air.
Seal tightly in jars or plastic bags with no air. Filling it as full as possible.
Only store the same type of food in each container.
For long term like years: use glass jars, or brown paper bags in a plastic container.
For short term about 2 months use plastic cooking bags and freezer containers.
Label: (example) Peaches from orchard. 2 lbs fresh.
Slice with peel 1/4 inch and dried 5-92 for 8 1/2 hours.
Keeping in a cool dark place will keep indefinably 50-80 degrees under a bed, closet ect.
Check in a few days then once a week up to 2 months. Look for moisture, shake to make sure it’s not sticking together.

Aromatic Waters

Dry skin:
Orange leaves and blossoms, clover and acacia flowers.
Firm skin tissue - 1 & 1/2 cup commode to 1 pint of water
Allow to age 2 weeks shaking it 2 times a day
Strain and bottle
Herb Vinegars:
Refine skin pores and reestablish acid balance.
1 cup petals or leaves to 1 pint of apple cider vinegar
Place in a sunny window in a glass bottle
Shake vigorously daily for 3 week then strain
With Vinegar: sweet basil, thyme, sage, rosemary, dill, marjoram, lavender, violet petals, roses, carnation, lemon verbena, honeysuckle, sweet pea, lilacs.
Astringent: hair rinse
1/2 cup grated orange peel
1/2 cup orange leaves
1/2 cup orange flowers
1 quart warm vinegar
Put in a jar and shake daily for 3 weeks then strain
Lemon Water: For the hair
Fresh or dried lemon leaves
In pot just covered with water and slowly bring to a boil
Simmer several minutes and strain.
Mint Water: refresh and stimulates the skin.
Puree fresh spearmint leaves with cold water in a blender
Dab on face and neck
1 cup dried crush mint to a pint of water in a quart jay.
Shake 2 times daily for 2 weeks
Strain and store
Rose Water: As a hair rinse
Rose petals in pot just covered with water and slowly bring to a boil
Simmer several minutes and strain.

Aromatic Herbs

Breath Sweeteners:
Angelic root - Suck on whole cloves
Anise seed is chewed slowly
Cardamom seeds for strong odors
Calandos root
Dried ores root (Florentine iris) is sweet
Nutmeg to chew on
Pomanders: (in closets, drawers, and car)
Push whole cloves into a nice, firm orange, lemon, lime or apple.
Then roll in ground spices and ground ores root, the fixative
Then set aside to air dry for about four weeks.
(Ground spices are cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger).
Roll in once a day until dry.
Potpourris and Sachets: (are powder mixture of broken pieces of herbs, spices and flowers)
Cut and collect herbs on a dry morning after the dew is dried.
Cut or pull off the good flowers petals
Lay them in a shallow layer on a clean cloth to dry
Dry away from light in a airy place, stirring the petals several times.
Cut herbs to the ground and take a bunch and tie securely
Label and hand on a warm, airy, dry location to dry out.
When they become crumbly, strip leaves from the stems
Dry citrus peel, scraping off al the fruit and pulp from the inner skin
Break in small pieces and dry in warm place until brittle
Use a large wooden spoon to stir together all dried ingredients
Pour into a large wide mouth jar, cover tightly and place in a cool dark space for several months.
Once a week remove the cap and stir, and then you can make your sachets for a potpourri.
A sachet is created by grinding the mixture to powder and putting into small pillows.
Combinations are:
Herb Garden Love Potion Manly Scent Rose - lilac
2 cups of thyme 3 oz. violet 2 cups lemon balm 3 cups rose petals
1 cup rosemary 1 oz ores root 1 cup thyme 2 cups lilac
1/2 cup lavender 1 oz. rose leaf 1 cup nutmeg 2 cups marjoram
1 cup mint 1 oz. rose petal 1/2 ores root 1 oz. ores root
1/4 cup tansy 1 oz. Tonka bean
1/4 cup clove
1/2 oz. ores root
Sleep Potion Tangy Orange
3 cups spearmint 2 cups orange peel 1 oz. spearmint
3 cups rose leaves 1 cup lemon peel 1 oz. ores root
1 cup cloves 1/2 cup orange leaves 1/2 cup cinnamon
1 oz. ores root 1/2 cup lemon leaves 1/2 cup nutmeg